Starkville city employee charged with embezzlement

A Starkville City Clerk's Office employee recently resigned after an internal investigation tied her to embezzlement.

Latonya Henderson was charged with one felony count after a cooperative investigation concluded between the clerk's office and Starkville Police Department

City court clerks confirmed her case was continued yesterday.

SPD declined to release any information associated with the arrest or comment on the case.

Starkville officials also declined to comment on the case's specifics due to the nature of the personnel matter.

It is not known how much money Henderson allegedly embezzled. She was employed by the office for 11 months.

The investigation began as a result of new, more stringent financial control methods in the city clerk's office. Those provide officials greater detail to financial records.

"Pending an investigation involving fraud, an employee resigned from the city," City Clerk Taylor Adams said Friday. "We are grateful for the help from our external auditor, Watkins, Ward and Stafford, the Starkville Police Department and the Mississippi State Auditor's Office."

Adams said MSAO is satisfied with the city's internal audit and has not chosen to send its own investigative team to Starkville.

Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch